An epic end to another epic installment.I really glad you had all those GN personality modifications, I died laughing at Saji's and especially at Kira/Lacus's considering you had warped Kira to want to have nothing to do with Lacus, and turned her into a total controlling bitch throughout these installments only to undo it all at the last second and make them moonstruck for the sake of humor. Was that something planned from the outset of these 00 shorts or did it just kinda happen?

_________________IAN: (Shaking fist up at sky in a storm of GN particles) Science does not WORK this way, Setsuna!!!

An epic end to another epic installment.I really glad you had all those GN personality modifications, I died laughing at Saji's and especially at Kira/Lacus's considering you had warped Kira to want to have nothing to do with Lacus, and turned her into a total controlling bitch throughout these installments only to undo it all at the last second and make them moonstruck for the sake of humor. Was that something planned from the outset of these 00 shorts or did it just kinda happen?

I just figured it'd be funny if the Trans-Am Burst transformed Kira and Lacus into...well...a closer approximation of their actual Seed Destiny selves.

I don't know, although the Gundam00 cast earned their laughs, especially the mad transformation Saji went through, I still feel like GSD guys are more ripe to made fun of, you know? That said, I wouldn't want groundskeeper Ali working anywhere near my garden. I would be too afraid that the flowerbed would be replaced by flesh-eating plants and the sundial would spontaneously combust.

_________________-We will not be caught by surprise!
*Almost everyone I've killed uttered similar last words.
-Then I am glad once again that you are on my side.
*They've often said that too.

REGENE: Oh, buck up, laddy! Soon as we get back to Veda, I’ll pump out a new clone body for Anew. (Motions at Tieria’s corpse, which is still just sitting around limply in a chair) And for T-Sphere over there too.

Is Regene Mr. Terrific?

And DAMN. This was funny.

Saji and Louise getting it on in the 0-Raiser was the funniest thing I've read all day.

That was mighty sweet of you. And the Shinn-bits made me laugh out loud while browsing this on the bus on my way home from work.

I don't know, although the Gundam00 cast earned their laughs, especially the mad transformation Saji went through, I still feel like GSD guys are more ripe to made fun of, you know? That said, I wouldn't want groundskeeper Ali working anywhere near my garden. I would be too afraid that the flowerbed would be replaced by flesh-eating plants and the sundial would spontaneously combust.

No argument there. That's pretty much why I wanted to include them. I love writing for Shinn.

(The Reborns’ forward charge is suddenly violently halted as multicolored GN Particles erupt from the 00-Raiser’s frame. Ribbons struggles to right himself, but the Reborns spirals out of control as it is buffeted by the brilliant light streaming from Setsuna’ Gundam. In the 00’s cockpit, we see that Setsuna’s monitor reads “Trans-Am Burst Activated”.)

Well Thundermuffin, I finally sat down and read all of ATEGSD and you have brought joy to my life.

I loved the first few installments which just took all of those emotion-wracking flaws of GSD and turned them into hilarity, especially with the one liners. I'd go into detail but then I'd be typing here for hours. It kinda slowed down at one point just before the reunion special but then when we did get to the reunion that was an absolute masterpiece of comedic writing, ESPECIALLY with having the other Gundam casts show up and Char and Amuro starting up their crap. Kinda gave me a vibe of Mobile Suit Gundam Abridged.

Oh and your version of the Gundam SEED movie will probably be a thousand times better than anything they can come up with over in Gundamland. Assuming of course that the movie ever gets made which I don't think it will. I particularly liked the scenes where Malchio was whipping meat instead of Shinn, where Luna got to be the ZOINKS and where Lacus has Haro tipped DRAGOONs. The fact that you pulled a Dallas made it even more funny instead of weird.

As for the Gundam 00 bits they were equally hilarious if not a little more so with the Trans-Am personality modifications at the end. Too bad Cagalli wasn't there to get one so she could go back to being like she was in SEED!

I do have a suggestion for something you could parody next and I just have two words for you: Moon Moon. Just throwing it out there.

Yeah I've been a little curious here, since I imagine Thundermuffin hasn't been idling, and there certainly is no shortage of fodder for similar verbal evisceration in current pop-culture. Either he is cooking up something big, or life has become too busy. I hope it's the prior, even though that indirectly implies that I wish he didn't have a life.

_________________-We will not be caught by surprise!
*Almost everyone I've killed uttered similar last words.
-Then I am glad once again that you are on my side.
*They've often said that too.

(We open on SHINN ASUKA and LUNAMARIA HAWKE, sitting on a couch in front of a TV, playing a video game. Luna's has a fairly-calm and relaxed air about her as she plays, but Shinn maintains a hunched-over, wide-eyed, death-grip on his controller-posture.)

(We see the TV- they are playing split-screen Gundam Extreme VS. Luna's custom red GUNNER ZAKU unsheathes a beam tomahawk and performs a combo on Shinn's DESTINY GUNDAM, knocking it to the ground and costing it half its health. Shinn makes a frustrated noise.)

SHINN: Your ZAKU shouldn't be able to beat the Destiny! This game is totally unrealistic!

(Luna leads Shinn into another room, looks around, then pulls him behind a bookcase.)

SHINN: What's wrong??

LUNA: (Indicates something) Just watch.

(A moment passes, and KIRA YAMATO enters the room. He looks different than we remember him somehow, brighter and more-defined in physical appearance. His vacant stare seems even...vacant-er. ATHRUN ZALA enters the room shortly thereafter, also looking different in the same manner as Kira. Athrun's expression matches Kira's- his eyes dull and listless, his mouth a line with a slight downturn. The two face each other as Shinn and Luna watch in secret from behind the bookcase.)

HD KIRA: Muh?

HD ATHRUN: Guh.

HD KIRA: Uh!

HD ATHRUN: Yuh.

(The two nod to each other and then walk off in opposite directions. Kira bumps into a wall briefly, but rights himself and manages to get through a door. After a moment, Shinn and Luna exit from their hiding place.)

LUNA: Well?

SHINN: They seemed normal to me.

LUNA: No they're not! Don't they seem...I dunno...brighter and more visually-defined? Also, I feel like my vision is narrower when I look at them!

SHINN: Didn't notice.

LUNA: (Frustrated) Ungggh, Shinn! You know, this is what I'm talking about when I say you need to be more attentive.

(Shinn doesn't respond. Luna snaps her fingers in front of his face.)

LUNA: (Shouts) SHINN!

SHINN: Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking about Rey. Whatever happened to that guy?

LUNA: He died, Shinn. Rey died.

SHINN: (Stunned) Nuh-uh, when??

LUNA: Like...forever ago!

SHINN: Well, why can't I flashback to it?

LUNA: Why can't you...wait, what?

SHINN: (Shakes head) Usually when I want to think about something that happened in the past, everything gets all wavy, or blurry at the edges, or sepia-toned, and I see what happened. But lately I...can't do it so well.

(Luna puts her hands to her temples and thinks for a moment, then looks back up at Shinn with a worried expression.)

LUNA: Now that you mention it...my flashbacks aren't working at the moment either. Something...is wrong here.

(The two stand in awkward silence for a few moments. Shinn looks out a nearby window, then pokes Luna's shoulder.)

SHINN: Uh, Luna...

LUNA: (Looking at the ground) Not now, Shinn, I'm trying to work out what's happening to us...

SHINN: But Luna, I'm seeing something here...

LUNA: (Sighs) No, Shinn, it's not Stellar's ghost, it's just a trick of the light.

SHINN: No no, this is definitely something new.

LUNA: (Still not looking) It's not Mayu's ghost either, Shinn.

SHINN: Did you check the weather channel recently, Luna?

LUNA: (Looks up) Huh? No, why?

SHINN: (Pointing out window) Are we supposed to have a whiteout today?

LUNA: Whiteout? What the hell are you- ?

(Luna walks over and looks out the window. A wave of pure whiteness is engulfing the entire landscape. Anything and everything the white consumes vanishes, and it is coming closer every second. Luna blinks a few times in disbelief.)

(Meyrin is swallowed up by the wall of white and is silenced. Luna screams for her sister again.)

LUNA: (Anguished) MEYRINNNNN!!! Shinn...it...it took Meyrin!

SHINN: You lost your sister again? (Tilts head) Sooooo...sexytime?

LUNA: NO, SHINN!

(Shinn punches a fist into an open hand.)

SHINN: Well then! I'll just get Destiny and we'll beat whatever this is and save her!

LUNA: (Upset) What are you gonna do with Destiny, fly sword-first into the white stuff that's eating everything???!!!

SHINN: (Confused) Well...yes, that is the thing I do, Luna. Don't you get me by now?

LUNA: We've got to run!

(Luna grabs Shinn's hand and they both run out of the room into a nearby hallway. Unfortunately, the whiteness has spread inside the house already from the other side, blocking them in.)

LUNA: Oh no...

(The two go back-to-back as the whiteness surrounds them.)

SHINN: Luna...if this is the end...I'd just like to say...

LUNA: Yes, Shinn?

SHINN: (Screams) DAMN YOU, FREEEEEEEEEE-DOMMMMMMMMMMMUUU!!!

LUNA: Thanks, Shinn.

(The whiteness is only seconds away from consuming them. Suddenly, green sparkles start gathering right in front of the duo.)

SHINN: What the-?

(A quantum portal forms in front of Shinn and Luna, and SETSUNA F. SEIEI appears from it, his skin silver and metallic from ELS-bonding. He extends a hand to them.)

SETSUNA: (Stoically) Shinn Asuka...Lunamaria Hawke...COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE.

(Shinn and Luna exchange a look, then jump into the portal after Setsuna, just as the whiteness completely envelops everything. Elsewhere, in a dark room, the quantum portal opens again, and Shinn and Luna messily spill out of it onto the ground.)

AMURO: It's because they've been remastered already. I'm here to tell you that a remaster of YOUR series is imminent.

SHINN: So we're...what? Going to be...erased?

AMURO: (Nods) Yes. And restored again.

SHINN: So what's the prob?

AMURO: Every time something old is erased and remade, it degrades a little. And in today's world, this is done at a much more alarming pace. Attention spans aren't what they used to be, after all. And things that are “new” are often risky.

SETSUNA: People fear change.

AMURO: Yes. This is especially true for Gundam. Sure, there have been shake-ups of the formula, but you can only shake the bottle so often before it foams up and over the top and we get style-over-substance stuff like...oh...your show.

SHINN + LUNA: (Simultaneously) HEY!

AMURO: (Holds up hands) Sorry, sorry, that was a cheap shot. But you see the danger here? You take the original concept and water it down enough over time and it starts to erode the whole infrastructure.

SETSUNA: If this erosion continues, it will destroy Gundam... (Narrows eyes) Forever.

AMURO: They try to reinforce the concept by returning to old, proven things, but that can't even maintain the stagnant status quo. The decay has already set in and they're just making it worse. And very soon now, we're going to reach a breaking point.

LUNA: How so?

AMURO: They're going to remake MY show.

(Amuro pauses to let it sink in. Shinn and Luna regard each other with dubious expressions, then look back to Amuro.)

SHINN: Sheesh, up-your-own ass much?

LUNA: Yeah, and you don't have to get all preachy about it. And how can you be so sure that remaking your show will “break” Gundam? I mean, you've been around for decades in other shows, manga, and video games. You're certainly not suffering from the same kind of degradation.

AMURO: (Holds up his hands) Let's not. Look, you saw how badly it was affecting your other castmates, didn't you? The Remaster of Seed was the final straw for them. They've been burnt out and gutted. And you guys don't have much time left either.

LUNA: (Concerned) Yeah, we could see.

SETSUNA: If you two return to your reality, you'll be erased too. I managed to save you for the time being, but we have to do something to cut this rot out immediately or it'll spread beyond you.

AMURO: It's time you met the others. Along with Setsuna here, I had to gather some people to join us in fixing this.

(Amuro motions for Shinn and Luna to follow him, and they walk out of the room into a corridor.)

SHINN: So who are these other people? Other Gundam characters?

AMURO: Yes. People that haven't quite felt the decay setting in yet, but will in time.

(Amuro leads them into another room, where four other people stand waiting. They are BANAGHER LINKS, FLIT ASUNO (aged 63), ASEMU ASUNO (aged 41), and KIO ASUNO (aged 13). Shinn and Luna take in the room as Amuro gets everyone's attention.)

AMURO: Everyone, this is Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke.

(Asemu Asuno walks over and offers his hand.)

ASEMU: Pleased to meet you, Shinn. I hear you enjoy fighting at sea with vaguely-pirate-like music playing in the background. I can somewhat relate to that. I am a pirate...in SPACE.

(Shinn shakes his hand.)

SHINN: (Disappointed) Aw, no hook for a hand? Or even a space-parrot? Aw.

ASEMU: Uh, no. Let me introduce you guys to the rest of my family.

(Asemu motions for Flit and Kio to come over. Flit gives a stern nod to Shinn and Luna.)

FLIT: Nice to meet you. Pending a background check to make sure you're not in league with the Vagan, I look forward to working with you.

AMURO: Yes, yes. “At the moment”. But they'll keep taking and taking, and one day you'll be on the verge of being a burnt-out husk of a Gundam character! (Points at Shinn) Like that guy!

SHINN: (Looks behind himself) Huh?

AMURO: This HAS to be done! This is a surgical strike at the heart of the Gundam franchise! We have to go in, and stop this remaking trend at any cost!

LUNA: Um, yeah, you actually haven't said where we're going yet.

AMURO: (Nods and addresses the group) We're going to the central hub of Gundam, which is unimaginatively called “Central Gundam”. Once there, we will take our case to the one at the top, the one who controls the Gundam franchise.

BANAGHER: Tomino?

AMURO: What? Don't be ridiculous- Tomino is just an abstract construct, he doesn't really exist.

SETSUNA: (Solemnly speaks up) There is no Tomino in this world.

AMURO: Well, I shouldn't go that far, but in whatever case, there IS someone at the head of the Gundam table, and we're going to confront him and make him see things our way!

LUNA: Or “her”.

AMURO: (Snorts) Heh, yeah, or... “her”. Good one. (Composes himself again) But I need to know one last time, are you all with me?

(Amuro looks around the room at everyone, starting with the Asunos. Asemu smirks and nods.)

ASEMU: I'm already getting a remake movie, so I can see your point. I'm in. Kio?

(Asemu looks to Kio, who is squinting at Amuro intently. We see through Kio's vision once again.)

“-are you all with me?”

A.Yes!

B.No!

C.Dot Dot Dot!

D. You betcherass, you ****ing ****head!

(After a moment, Kio decides.)

KIO: (Shouts) You betcherass, you ****ing ****head!

AMURO: I appreciate the intensity, kid.

ASEMU: (Shrugs) He must get it from my old man.

FLIT: (Suddenly shouts) DEATH TO ALL THE VAGAN!

(Everyone looks at Flit. He coughs awkwardly.)

FLIT: Sorry, that just slips out sometimes.

SHINN: (Shakes his head) Old man, hating on people for their dietary choices is not cool.